Shadows Again
by Koga7737
Summary: 35 years after Michael saved the Orre region from Cipher, a new adventure begins for a young couple.
1. Beginnings

I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo or Gamefreak. I guarantee there was another company I had to say I don't own, but I don't own ANYTHING.

This is my first story on DA but not my first story EVER. Under a different pen name, I created this exact story with different character names like 4 or 5 years ago. If you think I will tell you where to find it, you are sorely mistaken. I wish I could delete it but I can't.

Anyway. I liked how this one came out. This one chapter was longer than the first 3 chapters I made last time. xD

Stay tuned for the next chapter (I am a huge procrastinator so it could take a few days to weeks before you see the next, SHORT chapter) (and yes, I know this chapter is short, deal with it)

Hope you guys enjoy it!

The Orre region, a place that has been terrorized by an evil organization twice in the last 35 years. Cipher, an organization whose goal is to take control of the world, was responsible for distributing evil Pokémon that would attack anything that moved. Fortunately, there was always a hero to return these Pokémon to their normal state. 35 years ago, it was Wes and Rui who brought Cipher to its knees, or so they thought. 5 years after their victory over Evice, who was thought to be the leader of Cipher, a new leader arose and brought back Cipher in its terrible glory. Michael, a young boy who barely began to be a trainer, took down Cipher once and for all. To this day, Orre has been peaceful and wild Pokémon have been brought over from other regions and some even coming from regions near Orre.

Let us take a look at one of the new establishments built for new training opportunities. It is in the northwest part of Orre. Surrounded by a lush forest, a Pokémon Academy stands for trainers from ages 7-13. The advantage to going to this school is the rare Pokémon obtained for completing the courses. Two students at this very Pokéschool will be up for quite the adventure.

A certain hot-pink haired girl was brushing her long hair while waiting for someone at the entrance of the Academy of Advanced Pokémon Training. She pulled out a compact to look if there was anything wrong with her make-up or if she had anything in her teeth. A loud, beeping noise came from her pocket, or, more precisely, her P*DA. She pulled it out of her tight shorts and read the message.

FROM: Matty3

SUBJECT: No Subject

I'm here now.

The girl squealed at the message. She ran away from the school, for the last time, and toward the parking lot. A guy, about 6'2" and an average body type, with medium length brown hair with green highlights was leaning on a crotch rocket, or sports bike, for you delicate types. The girl ran towards the other teen and tackled him with a hug. He returned the hug, while trying not to fall back on the bike. "Well, hi there." The male teen said.

The pink haired girl released him from the hug, but not before giving him a peck on the lips. She giggled "Oh, hi! Ready to finally get our Pokémon, Matt?"

"Sure am, babe. Do ya know which one you're gonna get?" Matt asked as he got onto the motorized bike. He handed the girl her helmet and put on his own.

The girl spoke, slightly mumbled because of the helmet, "Yeah, I got the highest grades in class, so they're giving me their rarest Pokémon they have. Not really sure what kind it is though."

"Huh, maybe it's something like an evolved Pokémon or something that can only be found at a certain place." Matt said as he started the sports bike. He drove out of the parking lot and onto a dirt path in the woods.

"Yes, that is the definition of rare, 'Professor.'" The girl said, making fun of her boyfriend. They drove for 5 minutes before making it to the Pokémon HQ Lab. The lab used to be used for researching Pokémon phenomena but has expanded its duties to giving starter Pokémon to new trainers, more specifically, to trainers from the academy.

The two teens walked into the front doors and asked the receptionist where they could get their starter Pokémon. The woman behind the desk told them to go up the elevator and they would find Professor Krane in one of the rooms on the right. They took the directions and the elevator behind the receptionist took them to the second floor. The first room on the right was empty so they went to the next. An elderly woman, a middle aged woman, and a man in between the 2 ages were talking as Matt and his girlfriend entered the room.

"Ah, you must be trainers from the PokéSchool. Are you here for your graduation presents?" The man in a white lab coat, probably Krane, asked politely.

Matt spoke up, "Yes sir."

"Great! Your names, please?" The man asked.

The young girl answered, "Amy Dahlia."

Matt followed suit, "Matt Utzi"

"Mkay, nice to meet you two! I'm Professor Krane. I'll go get your Pokémon. Wait here. Jovi, Lilly, please come help me." The man in the white lab coat said. The two women followed him out to the hallway, leaving Matt and Amy alone.

"What kind of Pokémon did you request for again?" Amy said, getting closer to Matt and grabbing his hands.

Matt closed the gap between him and the slim, 5'2" teen and said, "I said a fighting or ghost type. They told me that if they had one, they would give it to me." He kept looking forward, as it would be awkward to stare a foot down to meet Amy's eyes. She told him that she felt smaller and more insecure about herself when she was looked down at.

Krane came back in with Jovi and Lilly holding a Pokémon in their arms. The blue haired woman had a white creature with grass growing on its back and pink flowers in bloom on each side of its face. The other had a deeply faded pink body and had a light-blue helmet with orange growths coming out the top of the helmet. Krane introduced the teens to their new partners. "Matt, your request for a fighting or ghost type could not be fulfilled. So we gave you a rare Pokémon instead. Matt Utzi, meet Ralts!"

Lilly put the Ralts on the ground and Matt kneeled down to its eye level. Ralts slowly walked up to him and Matt put out his hand to pet the timid Pokémon. Ralts hesitated, but decided to let the human pet it. "Hey there, buddy. You are the coolest thing I have ever seen!" Matt exclaimed. He looked up to Professor Krane and asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Lilly responded instead, "It's a boy. Check out its information with this." She handed Matt a Pokédex. For those of you who don't know what a Pokédex is, it's a handheld device that holds information on every Pokémon in existence. Most Pokédex's only hold information on the creatures that live in their region, but can be upgraded to recognize up to 649, as of March 2011. The Pokémon's information will only appear if that specific Pokémon is seen and reported to the Pokédex. It also holds the trainer's ID, item information, and much more.

Matt grabbed the light green device, opened it, and pointed it in Ralts' direction. The machine spoke in a female voice. "Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon. A Ralts has the power to sense the emotions of people and Pokémon with the horns on its head. It takes cover if it senses any hostility."

Lilly said, "If you want to check his vital signs or check his attacks, press this button." She then used the touch screen to bring up a new screen. It read: "Ralts LV. 5 Attacks: Growl, Powder Snow, and Gust. HP 17/17"

"That's so cool! But, why is the Ralts in the Pokédex have a green helmet and mine have a blue one?" Matt asked.

Lilly said, "It's because he's a Shiny Pokémon. A Shiny Pokémon is a Pokémon that has a genetic mutation that causes their color to change. There's no real reason why that could be, but some think it could be because the evolution line the Pokémon isn't the only thing they mate with. It would also explain why they can learn special abilities. All Shiny Pokémon have attacks and abilities similar to their color change. Like this Ralts could learn Water, Wind, or Ice attacks along with the normal Psychic moves."

"Ralts, that makes you even more amazing!" Matt said as he brought the child-like creature in for a hug.

Krane spoke up again, "AHEM! Now, Amy, you had the highest score in HISTORY of the Academy of Advanced Pokémon Training. In honor of this amazing achievement, we give you a Pokémon few people get the grace to see in their lifetime. Amy Dahlia, meet Shaymin." Jovi put the green and white Pokémon on the ground and let it walk up to Amy. Shaymin jumped up on her legs, wanting to be picked up.

"Aw, it's so freaking cute! Boy or girl?" Amy could barely get the words out from giggling purely out of excitement. The Shaymin began to form blooming flowers on its back. Everyone watched in amazement. The flowers looked exactly like the ones already on each side of the Pokémon's face.

Jovi joined in on the giggling. "It's a baby girl. She hatched not a few weeks ago." She handed the teen a pink Pokédex. Amy put Shaymin on a table and opened her new Pokédex.

In the same female voice, it stated, "Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon. The flowers all over its body burst into bloom if it is lovingly hugged and senses gratitude. The flowers resemble the beautiful Gracidea Flowers." Jovi pushed the same touch screen buttons Lilly did to Matt's Pokédex. "Shaymin LV. 5 Attacks: Growth and Magical Leaf. HP 23/23"

Krane exclaimed, "CONGRATULATIONS! You two are now official Pokémon Trainers! The Orre region now has, well, sort-of-gyms. They're more like tournaments you need to win in order to get their badges but the last battle of the tournament is always with the Leader of that 'stadium.' I only know of the one in Gateon Port, one in Phenac City, another in Pyrite, the one on top of Realgam Tower, and an actual gym in Phenac City. I couldn't tell you where the other 3 are. You are just going to have to find them on your own. If you guys have any question while on your quest, you can always come here and ask me, Lilly, or her daughter, Jovi. OH! I almost forgot!" Krane exited the room and came back running in with 10 Pokéballs.

"You will need these t catch some more Pokémon. Well, on the rare chance you come by any wild ones. Don't expect to find many, though. Good luck you two!"

"Thank you, Professor!" Amy yelled as she ran out the room with Shaymin in her arms.

"We'll see you soon!" Matt said before running after Amy.

Amy and Matt walked out the main entrance, waving good-bye to the receptionist. Their Pokémon were safe inside their Pokéballs. As they were heading toward Matt's bike, a scream was heard from behind them.

"Somebody help! The Pokémon!"

Wasting no time, the couple ran towards the shriek. They turned the corner to see the back of the facility. It looked kind of like a Pokémon Ranch® or something. Within a blink of an eye, a blue, black, and cream colored Pokémon charged toward them with a blue, energized staff of some sort. It struck Matt, knocking him back a few feet before he fell to the ground, unconscious. Amy tried to scream, but before she had the chance, the creature struck her, knocking her unconscious as well.


	2. Agate Village

_Ugh, where am I? _Matt asked himself, waking up in a bed that wasn't his. _Oh yeah, I remember. I got attacked by that Pokémon. _He took a look at his surroundings. Monitors, buttons with a nurse on it, a tv, a couch, and a lamp. He was in a hospital room. _Where's Amy? _He was worried that his girlfriend was seriously injured. Just then, a woman walked in who looked like Jackie Kennedy with her pink pillbox hat.

"Oh good! You're finally awake. You took quite a hit from what seemed to be Bone Rush." The woman, probably a nurse, said.

"I just remember running to someone screaming and then a Pokémon attacked me." Matt replied.

"Yes, reports said it was a Lucario. They don't normally attack humans unless they are provoked. Unfortunately, the police say that it may have been a Shadow Pokémon."

Matt had never heard of the story of Shadow Pokémon. So he asked the nurse what she was talking about. She said "I don't know much about this, it's just what I overheard some people talking about it. I'm sorry."

Matt asked, "Do you know where Amy Dahlia is?"

"Oh yes, she's in room 733. If you can get up, you're more than welcome to visit with her. Need any help?" The woman was acting as if she cared, rare for an over-worked nurse.

"No, thank you" Matt grabbed his stuff and his Pokéball and Pokédex. He walked out his room and began his search for room 733 in the maze of the giant hospital. Though inconvenient, there was only one hospital in the entire Orre region, and it was massive, capable of holding 10,000 patients. Thankfully, Amy's room didn't take too long to find. Matt walked into the room and Amy was already awake but Shaymin was resting in her arms. That reminded Matt to let Ralts out. Amy and Matt shared a quick kiss before Matt lied down on the couch. Ralts jumped on top of Matt and used his torso as a bed.

"So," Amy began, "did you hear who caused that incident?"

Matt shook his head, "I have no idea."

Amy had an unusually serious face on. "Well, everyone is saying that the Lucario that attacked us was a Shadow Pokémon. There's only one group that could have turned a Pokémon into a soulless fighting machine, and they are Cipher."

"I haven't heard too much about them other than that they tried to take over the Orre region like 30 years ago." Matt admitted he wasn't up on his history.

Amy sighed. "My grandmother helped stop them the first time they tried to create evil Pokémon. I never believed that she had psychic powers that helped identify Shadow Pokémon until this until today."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked.

"Well, she said that she saw a dark purple, almost black, aura emitting from these Pokémon. I didn't believe it but yesterday, when Lucario attacked us, I saw that aura." Amy said as she pet her Pokémon's soft fur.

Matt said, "But no one has even heard of Cipher in 30 odd years. Why would they appear out of nowhere?"

Amy answered, "I couldn't tell ya. Let's ask Granny Rui. Think they'll let us leave now?"

"Oh, surely. We don't have any noticeable injury, just a few bruises. Ready, Ralts?" Ralts got up from sleeping on Matt. As soon as Matt stood up, Ralts raised his hands and jumped up and down, as if he wanted to be held. Matt couldn't resist his partner's cute request. Amy also got out of bed with Shaymin slowly waking up in her arms. "Well, good morning, sweetheart." Amy and Ralts giggled as Shaymin looked away, blushing.

They got on the elevator and pressed the first floor. "So where does your grandma live?" Matt asked, as they doors closed.

"Oh right, she lives in Agate Village. In the highest house in the village." Amy said. The elevator came to a stop and the teen couple headed toward the parking lot, where Matt's bike was waiting.

The bike stopped in front of a fog-shrouded forest. "So this is the entrance to Agate Village?" Matt asked, fearing not knowing what was on the other side of the fog.

"Yup, we walk through about 30 seconds in this fog. Be careful, though, if you stray from the path, you might fall and no one really knows how far it drops." Amy advised. Matt clung behind her, since she knew the way through the fog.

"Why doesn't someone just use Defog here, rather than walk blindly to their death?" Matt asked. Normally, he was the brave one, but his childhood memories of being stranded alone in the forest by his older brother left him terrified of dark forests, or, in this case, a forest where you can't see your own hand.

"Oh, they've tried. It's never worked. Some say that there is a Pokémon here that causes it and the fog won't lift until that Pokémon is dealt with. Since no one can see through the fog, no one can find the creature that causes it." Matt soon noticed that the ground they were walking on turned into wooden steps. "There, we are on the other side of the fog now."

In front of them was a flourishing paradise of plant life. Houses were built in the roots of the giant trees that owned the land. The 2 teens holding their Pokémon heard a voice from afar. "Amy? Is that you? Come on up here!" They looked up at the tallest point of the village to see a woman in her mid to late 50's. They ran up all the hills and steps before finally getting to the house under the center of the biggest tree in the village. "Hey, there, sweetie!" Granny Rui gave Amy a kiss. She didn't really look all that old, if not for the wrinkles. She had long, red-orange hair in a ponytail. "And who is this handsome, young man?"

"Grandma, this is Matt. We're on our way to challenge the 8 stadiums in the Orre region." Amy told her grandmother.

"Well, fill me in on what's happened in the last couple of days. I heard you were involved in that nasty Pokémon Lab incident." Amy told Rui about getting the highest scores in class, being awarded her Shaymin, and being attacked by the Lucario, more specifically, the black-purple aura around it.

"Shadow-y aura? You mean you saw the aura? I can't believe it. Both you getting my powers and the fact that there are Shadow Pokémon running around!" Just as Amy was going to say something, they all heard a big explosion outside the house. They ran outside and heard people yelling about the Relic Stone being destroyed.

"No, it can't be!" Granny Rui said.

Amy asked, "What's going on grandma?"

Rui said, "I think that explosion came from the Relic Cave. It holds the only means of naturally purifying Shadow Pokémon and reverting them back to their normal states, the Relic Stone."

"Very smart, you old Zubat." A strange voice came from behind them. Two people in white-silver uniforms were standing with Pokéballs in their hands. They wore helmets with visors and had a red scarf around their necks. The one on the right spoke again, "But I'm afraid we can't let you go and check it for yourself. We have to take you now."

Matt and Amy, along with Ralts and Shaymin, stood in front of Rui. "I don't think so creep! No one is taking my grandma anywhere!" Amy was ready to fight them to protect her grandmother.

"Look kids," the man on the left said, "we don't want to hurt you, so back off."

Matt scoffed, "Get lost!"

The same guy on the left sighed. "Well, I guess we'll just have to make you get out of the way!"

? Peon Nor sent out Patrat: Lv. 3 HP 14/14

? Peon Ron sent out Bidoof: Lv. 3 HP 15/15

Matt sent out *Ralts*: Lv. 5 HP 17/17

Amy sent out Shaymin: Lv. 5 HP 23/23

First Round:

Shaymin used Magical Leaf on Patrat.

Bidoof used Tackle on Ralts.

Ralts used Powder Snow on Patrat and Bidoof. Patrat faints.

Ralts – 10/17

Shaymin – 23/23

Patrat – 0/14

Bidoof – 9/15

Second Round:

Shaymin used Magical Leaf on Bidoof. It's a Critical Hit! Bidoof fainted.

Matt and Amy win $500.

The two in uniforms fell to the ground. Ron said "Crud! Nor, let's get out of here. We can't stall them for much longer!"

Amy and Matt yelled in unison, "STALL?" Nor and Ron ran away as fast as they could. Rui, Matt, and Amy began to head down to the Relic Cave, which was located at the very bottom of the village. They ran into the forest on the other side of the cave to the Relic Stone. Sure enough, it was nothing but a pile of rubble.

"I can't believe this. They destroyed the only object in the Orre region blessed with Celebi's power. There's no way we can purify those Shadow Pokémon without Celebi now." Rui fell to her knees at the destruction of the ancient relic.

Amy went over to Rui and said, "Come on, granny, we have to go catch those Cipher jerks before they get away!"

"Wait, those guys were with Cipher?" Matt inquired.

Amy confirmed, "Yeah, I remember those outfits when Mom took me to the museum a couple years ago. This was definitely Cipher's doing."

Rui spoke, "They tried to destroy the Relic Stone 35 years ago. My grandfather tried to stop them, but he couldn't stand up to their Shadow Pokémon. That's when Wes and I showed up and Wes snagged their Shadow Hitmontop and sent them packing."

"Snagged?" Matt hadn't heard of snagging other people's Pokémon.

Rui explained, "To save all of the Shadow Pokémon from their evil masters, Wes would take them away from their trainers with a machine that transformed any kind of Pokéball into a Snag Ball. We only did this on Shadow Pokémon, of course. We managed to save all of the Pokémon turned Shadow and bring down Cipher, only for it to rise 5 years later. By the time we came to stop them again, a kid by the name of Michael had defeated. Turns out he was given a Snag Machine of his own. That's all I honestly know about the whole situation. But if you can find Michael, I'm sure he will help you bring down Cipher once again!"

"That's a great idea! Any idea where he might be?" Amy asked.

Rui shook her head. "Sadly, no. I have no idea where he could be. I do know that he lived at the Pokémon HQ Lab. You could go back there and find out through Professor Krane."

"Thanks, Grandma! By the way, what about Wes? Can we find him for help on bringing down Cipher?"

Rui told her granddaughter, "I haven't seen him in years, but I'll try and find him. He would sure be a great help on this situation. Can I have your P*DA number if I find any information, Matt? I already have yours, Amy." They exchanged P*DA numbers and Matt and Amy decided to leave immediately. Amy ad Rui hugged good-bye and the couple headed off to the wooden bridge after visiting the Pokémon Center. They passed through the fog-ridden path to find 3 Cipher Peons messing with Matt's bike, each with a different colored scarf: one bright red, one dark blue, and one moderate green.

"Hey, get away from my bike!" Matt barked out at the peons. They got spooked from the unexpected sound.

"Grrr. And I was getting ready to steal this crotch rocket!" The blue-scarf one said.

"You will do no such thing!" Amy reached for her Pokéball.

"You two take care of these kids; I'll go catch up with the rest of the group." The peon in the red scarf said.

The man in the fruity green scarf asked, "What about the bike?"

"Oh, just take it when you beat them. I'll tell the boss where you two are at. If she gets mad, I'll take the blame." The peon with red around his neck said as he ran off to the desert.

Cipher Peon Blu sent out Oshawott: Lv. 5 HP19/19

Cipher Peon Greene sent out Snivy: Lv. 5 HP 20/20

(Amy: Matt, Those Pokémon have that dark aura! They're Shadow Pokémon!)

(Matt: Seriously? We have to be careful when fighting them, then!)

Matt sent out *Ralts*: Lv. 6 HP 20/20

Amy sent out Shaymin: Lv. 6 HP 27/27

Round 1:

Snivy used Shadow Blitz on Shaymin. It's Super Effective!

Shaymin used Magical Leaf on Oshawott. It's Super Effective! Oshawott fainted.

Ralts used Powder Snow on Snivy. It's Super Effective! It's a Critical Hit! Snivy fainted.

Amy and Matt won $2500.

"Gyah! Retreat!" Blu yelled. Both he and Greene high-tailed it out of sight.

"Serves them right!" Amy said, smiling brightly. The two teens returned their Pokémon to their Pokéballs. "So, off to the Pokémon HQ Lab, right?"

Matt nodded. "Yup, we need to find Michael as soon as possible!"

With that, the couple hopped on the bike, placed their helmets on, and began their drive to the same place where their adventure began. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	3. Mt Battle  VS Blu, Greene, and Rad

The Pokémon HQ Lab was in the sights of our heroes. If anyone is to know where Michael is, it's sure to be Professor Krane. Matt parked his bike on a fence near the entrance of the lab and the couple began their search for the professor. They entered the sliding front door and walked toward the receptionist.

"Oh, thank goodness! I was hoping you two were safe!" The receptionist said.

Matt said, "Yeah, we're perfectly fine. Us and our Pokémon. Was anything taken or anything?"

The woman nodded her head and had a frown on her face. "Sadly, yes. They took parts from the Purification Machine. Now, we can't purify any Shadow Pokémon we can get our hands on."

"You're kidding! Cipher just destroyed the Relic Stone!" Amy told the receptionist.

She gasped, "But that means there is no way to purify any Pokémon that's had their hearts closed! We must tell Professor Krane immediately!" She got up from her desk and called for the elevator. Amy and Matt followed her. They rode it to the 2nd floor and made a Combee-line to Krane's office.

Upon entering the room, Matt and Amy watched the receptionist walk over to a sleeping Professor Krane. She took of her glove and smack Krane with it. He awoke with a loud, pain-filled howl. "Sir, you should be working, not napping. Anyway, we have some terrible news! The Relic Stone has been destroyed by Cipher!"

Krane rubbed his cheek, where a red, glove-shaped mark was very visible. "So, it's true then. Cipher has made Shadow Pokémon and they don't want anyone to purify them again." Krane paused for a minute before yelling, "BUT THAT MEANS THERE NEXT MOVE IS TO WIPE OUT THE SNAG MACHINES!"

Matt said, "Dude, we're all just 2 feet away from you."

"You don't get it. They are going to track down the only person who has access to the snag machines. If they get to him, then Cipher will have won all the time they need to perfect the Shadow process." Krane said.

Amy asked, "Well, who is that?"

Lilly said, "My son." No one saw her enter the room, but she apparently had heard every word. "Michael."

Matt and Amy had an exclamation point in a speech bubble over their heads. "That's who we were told that could help us beat Cipher!" Amy exclaimed.

"Do you know where he is?" Matt asked.

Lilly sighed. "No, but Jovi does. She won't tell anyone unless they battle her. Are you guys up to that?"

In unison, the couple said, "Of course!" They both blushed and Matt spoke up again. "Anything that will get us to Michael, we will do!"

Lilly smiled. "Then go outside and I'll go get Jovi."

Krane, Matt, Amy, and the receptionist got in the elevator while Lilly went to get Jovi, by going through the first room closest to the elevator, which had another door leading to who-knows-where. The receptionist took her place at her desk, and the other three walked out the front doors. They didn't wait 15 seconds before Jovi and Lilly came out the side door.

Jovi was bouncing and smiling. "So, you two want to battle Jovi to find out where Jovi's brother, Michael, is?" Jovi was speaking in a childish voice and speaking in third person.

"Yes, we need to find Michael!" Amy said.

Jovi got to Pokéballs out and said, "Then get ready!"

* * *

><p>Trainer Jovi sent out Mimi (Minun): Lv. 50 HP 153153

and Pluplu (Plusle): Lv. 50 HP 151/151

Matt sent out *Ralts*: Lv. 7 HP 22/22

Amy sent out Shaymin: Lv. 7 HP 29/29

ROUND 1:

Mimi used Rain Dance. It began raining heavily.

Pluplu used Thunder on *Ralts*. *Ralts* fainted.

Shaymin used Magical Leaf on Mimi.

Jovi – Mimi HP 145/153

Jovi – Pluplu HP 151/151

Matt - *Ralts* HP 0/22

Amy – Shaymin HP 29/29

ROUND 2: Raining heavily.

Mimi used Thunder on Shaymin. Shaymin fainted.

Matt and Amy lost. Paid $300

* * *

><p>Lilly ran over to Shaymin and Ralts and gave them both a Max Revive. Matt walked over to Amy, gave her a hug, and said, "Well, we gave it our best shot."<p>

Jovi then laughed and said, "That was fun! Okay, now, regarding where Michael is. He is the leader of Mt. Battle and stands at zone 100."

Another speech bubble popped over everyone's heads. Krane said, "Really? You're just gonna tell everyone after winning a battle?"

Jovi giggle. "Yeah, I never said you had to win, I just said you had to battle me."

"Awesome! We have to hurry Amy! See you guys later!" Matt yelled as he and Amy raced for the bike.

Krane waved good-bye and said, "If we learn anything, we'll send you a message through your P*DA's. Your numbers are in your records."

"Please, be safe!" Lilly and Jovi yelled.

Matt started the vehicle as Amy got her helmet on. (Always wear a helmet :D ) Off they went to Mt. Battle. Matt visited it may times when he was younger with his brothers.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the volcanic mountain and ran into the application area. The woman standing behind the counter told them, "I'm afraid we can't let you see Michael at this moment. This facility is being attacked by Cipher!"<p>

Amy and Matt realized that they were too late. Amy asked, "Can we please go and fight off those scum? We have dealt with them before and know we can stop them."

The woman gave it some though before nodding. "Alright. We'll restore your Pokémon's health after every battle from here. Be very careful! If there is something to worry about, it's falling off the platforms." Amy had no idea what she was talking about but Matt understood and the teens were teleported by an Abra to Area 10, where zones 91-100 awaited them.

They stepped out of the room and onto a floating platform. Amy immediately screamed. She did not like heights one bit. Only three things were visible from the platform they stood on: The other platforms floating from only giant fans underneath, Mt. Battle itself, and clouds. No ground or Orre land to be seen.

Matt pulled Amy close and comforted her. "Shhh. It's going to be alright. I'm here for you."

It took Amy a minute to calm down, but she eventually regained her composure. Matt noticed something was amiss about the platforms: There were no trainers to be seen. Each zone had its own trainer to stop challengers from getting any further. However, there were none to be seen. Matt and Amy got their Pokémon partners out and ready for battle. They all climbed each zone until they got to zone 95, were they saw the 3 Cipher Peons with different colored scarves, each in a different zone: 97, 98, and 99.

The couple ran to zone 97 and caught the attention of Greene. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Two annoying pests. Looks like I get a chance to whoop your butts for humiliating me!"

* * *

><p>Cipher Peon Greene sent out Snivy (Shadow): Lv. 5 HP 2020

And Cherubi: Lv. 13 HP 34/34

(Amy: That Cherubi is another Shadow Pokémon!)

(Matt: Another? This guy gets two of them?)

Matt sent out *Ralts*: Lv. 7 HP 22/22

Amy sent out Shaymin: Lv. 7 HP 29/29

ROUND 1:

Cherubi used Shadow Hold on *Ralts* and Shaymin. They can't escape!

Snivy used Shadow Blitz on Shaymin. It's Super Effective!

Shaymin used Magical Leaf on Snivy. It's not very effective.

*Ralts* used Powder Snow on Snivy and Cherubi. It's Super Effect!x2 Snivy fainted.

Greene – Cherubi 18/34

Greene – Snivy 0/20

Matt - *Ralts* 22/22

Amy – Shaymin 20/29

ROUND 2:

Cherubi used Shadow Mist on *Ralts* and Shaymin. Evasiveness fell sharply.

Shaymin used Magical Leaf on Cherubi. It's not very effective.

*Ralts* used Powder Snow on Cherubi. It's Super Effective! Cherubi fainted.

Matt and Amy won! $1250

* * *

><p>"Not again! I'm out of here!" Greene yelled as he ran down towards zone 96 and presumably, the bottom of the mountain. Matt, Amy, Shaymin, and Ralts continued their ascent.<p>

They got to the 98th zone to find Blu waiting for them. He probably watched the battle with Greene as did the peon with the red scarf. "So, Greene failed and left it to me to get rid of you kids. Prepare yourselves!"

* * *

><p>Cipher Peon Blu sent out Oshawott (Shadow): Lv. 5 HP 1919

And Buizel: Lv. 13 HP 36/36

(Amy: That Buizel is a Shadow Pokémon!)

(Matt: Jeeze, don't these guys have enough Shadow Pokémon?)

Matt sent out *Ralts* Lv. 8 HP 25/25

Amy sent out Shaymin Lv. 7 HP 29/29

ROUND 1:

Buizel used Shadow Blitz on *Ralts*. It's Super Effective!

Shaymin used Magical Leaf on Oshawott. It's Super Effective. Oshawott fainted.

*Ralts* used Gust on Buizel.

Blu – Oshawott 0/19

Blu – Buizel 30/36

Matt - *Ralts* 13/25

Amy – Shaymin 29/29

ROUND 2:

Buizel used Shadow Blitz on *Ralts*. It's Super Effective!

Shaymin used Magical Leaf on Buizel. It's Super Effective!

Ralts used Gust on Buizel. Buizel fainted.

Matt and Amy won! $1250

* * *

><p>Blu stumbled back after returning Buizel. "I'll get you two one of these days!" He ran past Matt, Amy, and their Pokémon and followed Greene's path down Mt. Battle. Only one person stood between the couple and zone 100.<p>

The four of them climbed to the 99th zone. "Seems like you have bested my little brothers. That means this will be a lot of fun!"

* * *

><p>Cipher Peon Rad sent out Tepig: Lv. 5 HP 2121

And Vulpix: Lv. 10 HP 30/30

(Matt: Let me guess: they are both Shadow Pokémon, right?)

(Amy: Yup, both of them.)

(Matt: Great…)

Matt sent out *Ralts* Lv. 9 HP 28/28

Amy sent out Shaymin Lv. 8 HP 31/31

The battle began with Rad commanding his Vulpix to use Shadow Blitz, but instead, it began using Shadow Hold. *Ralts* reacted by using Gust on Vulpix. It hit the fire fox dead-on and stopped it from using Shadow Hold. "Good job, buddy!" Matt praised *Ralts*.

Amy told Shaymin, "Use Magical Leaf on Vulpix!" Shaymin's pink flowers on the side of her face began to glow. Violet-pink petals began to swirls around Shaymin, only to be launched toward the Vulpix. The fox to the full brunt of the attack and fell to the ground.

Rad yelled at his Shadow Pokémon, "Get up, you lazy mutt! Grrr, Tepig, use Shadow Charge on that Ralts." The Tepig began to run at *Ralts*. The Psychic Pokémon tried to dodge but the fire pig was too fast. He took some damage but quickly used Gust in retaliation, which also hit Vulpix along with Tepig. It was the final hit to knock the fox. "Return, you worthless Pokémon." With that, Vulpix was turned into energy and was sent back into its Pokéball. "Go, Growlithe!"

Cipher Peon Rad sent out Growlithe: Lv. 10 HP 34/34

(Amy: Matt, it's another Shadow Pokémon.)

Amy commanded her Shaymin to finish off the Tepig with a dose of Magical Leaf. The colorful petals began to swirl around Shaymin once again before launching to the pig. Tepig was on the verge of fainting. Amy noticed that its aura went from purple-black to red-black. Before she could mention it, Tepig acted without a command from its trainer and began to emit a fire around itself before charging at Shaymin. Matt said, "Ralts, use Gust one more time on Tepig!" *Ralts* did as he was told to do. Tepig was hit and fainted on the spot.

"Nice try, Tepig. Return!" and Tepig, like Vulpix, turned to energy and was sucked into its Pokéball. "Growlithe use Shadow Blitz." Growlithe charged at Shaymin and struck her head-on. "Now, use Ember!" Shaymin was hit with an attack that was Super Effective, and at point blank no less. She had no energy left and fainted.

"Matt, this is all up to you and Ralts, now." Amy said as she ran to pick up Shaymin. Growlithe saw the trainer come closer to it and took the chance to attack her. *Ralts* saw this and moved in front of Amy and Shaymin. Unfortunately, *Ralts* did take a Super Effective hit from Bite. Growlithe didn't let go after the initial hit either. *Ralts* did something that amazed everyone. He moved his arm so that his "hand" was in the form of a gun and pointed it at Growlithe. Just then, a bullet of water hit the fire dog and caused it to let go of *Ralts*. He used Water Gun, and fired 2 more bullets of water. Growlithe barely survived the second one, but that third water shot caused it to faint.

"HOW? HOW DOES A PSYCHIC POKÉMON LEARN A WATER ATTACK?" Rad yelled while he returned Growlithe to its Pokéball.

Matt and Amy won! $1500

* * *

><p>"I don't need to waste my time playing with you stupid kids anymore! Get out of my way! I'm sure the Admin has gotten what he needs already." Rad said as he angrily walked passed the 4 heroes.<p>

Who was the Admin that led this attack on Mt. Battle? Find out in the next Chapter!


	4. VS Cipher Admin Enemi

Matt, Amy, Ralts, and Shaymin climbed the long staircase that led from Zone 99 to the top of Mt. Battle and Zone 100. Michael could probably defend himself, seeing as he defeated the leader of Cipher once. He should be able to stop an Admin with low-level Pokémon. But the sight our heroes would see is not what they expected.

They reached the top of the staircase and saw, on the other side of the giant platform that hovered over the active volcano, 2 men. One had red, spiky hair, wore goggles and was dressed in a yellow shirt and black pants with a red stripe running along the sides. The other was young, had medium-length, white hair, some of which hung over his right eye. The other eye, grey and emotionless, was completely visible. He was wearing black jeans and a snow, white hoodie, hood down. The two articles of clothing contracted with each other in a yin-yang kind of way. He had, standing next to him a Ralts. This one was different from the Ralts that Matt owned. It had a pale white body, similar to its trainer; its "helmet" was green and had dark pink/red horns growing out from the front and back side of the helmet.

The two men were standing near the edge of the platform and heard the person in the white hoodie say, "If you aren't going to cooperate, then I'll just have to dispose of you. It didn't have to end this way, Michael. Ralts, use Shadow Ball." The Psychic creature threw its hands up and summoned an orb of dark energy above its hands. The orb was then thrown at the other man, who was assumed to be Michael, according to the conversation. Michael was hit in the chest and stumbled backward. He tried to take another step before realizing that there was no place for him to step. He tried to grab onto something, but could not.

Amy and Matt watched in horror as they saw a human falling to his death, into a volcano, no less. Matt's Ralts charged up for a big attack. He used an Ice Beam at the lava beneath Zone 100. Luckily, it froze before Michael hit. There was no way that when he had hit the ice, that it was a soft landing but definitely enough to survive it. The guy in the white jacket saw the freezing of the lava and turned to the teens.

"Now, come one. Why would you go and save his life? He wouldn't listen at all. He needed to die." The man said.

Amy responded in disgust, "How can you say that? Just because someone doesn't want to comply with Cipher, they need to die? That's despicable!"

The white-haired Cipher just laughed, "Can you not see the greatness of Cipher? Anyone who goes against Cipher is nothing but scum. You seem persistent in trying to convince me. If that's the case, then maybe you should try and battle me to get your point across. Or why don't I save you the trouble and push you into that frozen mountain?" His Ralts was charging another Shadow Ball.

"Looks like we have to do this the hard way. Ralts, stop your sibling with gust!" The blue Ralts did as he was told and sent sharp, cutting winds toward his green brother. (All Pokémon of the same species are siblings. Though not always literally, they do come from the same tribe. Same goes for the evolutions.) The green counterpart's energy-filled sphere was broken due to the lack of hit.

"How dare you hurt my Ralts? Prepare to die, scum!"

* * *

><p>Cipher Admin Enemi sent out Zangoose: Lv. 11 HP 3636

And Seviper: Lv. 11 HP 36/36

Matt sent out *Ralts*: Lv. 10 HP 31/31

Amy sent out Shaymin: Lv. 9 HP 35/35

"Zangoose, Crush Claw on *Ralts*! Seviper, Poison Tail on Shaymin." The bipedal mongoose's right-handed claws shined a bright white color. It then began to run toward *Ralts*. Unfortunately, it hit Ralts pretty badly. Seviper began to slither toward Shaymin as its tail turned purple. But, the snake got distracted by its mortal enemy, Zangoose, its own teammate. Seviper changed course and whipped Zangoose' back. "Seviper, *sigh* are you kidding me?" Enemi said despairingly, as if this isn't the first time it's happened. "I need to get rid of you two."

*Ralts* was badly injured by Crush Claw, so Amy grabbed something out of her bag. She pulled out an X-Potion Sphere. Items that can used very quickly without having to get the Pokémon to eat it our get sprayed by it are called Sphere Items. They come in every form that regular items have. The difference is how much more expensive they are and how they are used. They are simply thrown at the Pokémon they are affecting. There is a small area of how far away the Pokémon needs to be from where it's thrown, but they can possibly affect more than one Pokémon at a time.

Amy threw the X-Potion Sphere at *Ralts*.

Matt - *Ralts* HP 31/31

Matt told his newly healed partner to use Water Gun on Seviper, but instead, he used a new attack. *Ralts'* outline turned blue and Seviper's turned pink-ish purple. Seviper was then damaged by a mental attack. *Ralts* had effectively used Confusion. Shaymin used Magical Leaf, although not ordered by her trainer, on Seviper, hoping to knock it out. It almost worked; Seviper was low on HP but not quite enough to make it faint. "Now, Zangoose, use Façade on Shaymin. It should power up since you're poisoned!"

Zangoose charged at Shaymin while glowing from the Façade attack. Amy said, "Wait, I thought that Zangoose has Immunity so it couldn't be poisoned." Zangoose struck Shaymin, which did massive damage, knocking it out.

"*Ralts*, use Water Gun on both of them!" *Ralts* pointed his arm in the direction of Zangoose and fired off 3 Water bullets then did the same for Seviper. Seviper effectively fainted. Zangoose still stood however.

Enemi laughed as he turned Seviper into red energy. "Normally, Zangoose do have the ability Immunity, but mine is special and has Toxic Boost instead. When it's poisoned, its attack is raised by 50%. And Façade does double damage when poisoned, burned, or paralyzed. I knew that Seviper would attack Zangoose, therefore poisoning him and raising his attack by massive amounts. Now, my partner, do away with them!" The green-headed Ralts jumped out from behind Enemi and used Double Team to create 2 more copies of itself.

Matt grabbed something out of his bag, just as Amy had done. He threw a Revive Sphere at Shaymin. He commanded the blue-headed *Ralts* to use Powder Snow on everyone. Enemi said, "I don't think so! Zangoose, use Façade on that *Ralts*!" Zangoose began to glow from Façade once again, but the second it took once step toward the Psychic opponent, it fainted. It took too much of the poison had inflicted upon it. "Ugh, return Zangoose." Enemi sent Zangoose back into its Pokéball.

"Shaymin, use Magical Leaf on Ralts!" Shaymin followed her trainer's orders and sent magical-colored petals and leaves flying toward Ralts. The green Psychic Pokémon used Double Team, in a reaction to trying to dodge the attack. It worked perfectly, or so it seemed. They multiple leaves struck the copy that stood where the original Ralts had been. It was just a clone. What Ralts did not know was that the leaves will continue to attack the copies until they hit its target. The leaves spread out so they evenly distributed out to each clone. Each copy was hit. The ones that were not real simply faded by the real Ralts was struck by a few leaves. The other projectiles flew in the direction of the real Ralts, making it a barrage of hits, probably doing more damage than if they all hit at once.

The leaves fell to the ground, but Matt had an idea. "*Ralts*, use Confusion on those fallen leaves!" Both Amy and Enemi were confused by this Confusion attack. (Pun intended) *Ralts* began to glow the same light blue color while the leaves regained their color, as if it was just another Magical Leaf attack. *Ralts* knew what he was supposed to do and began slicing through the green Ralts using the leaves as a blade. The first hit launched the child-like creature into the air about 5 inches. The attack did not end, though. The leaves struck Ralts several more times in mid-air. After the 13th hit, *Ralts* had no energy left, and let Enemi's Ralts fall back down to the ground. It had little energy left so Shaymin decided to try out a new power. She threw a paw-full of seeds at the green Ralts. (Who knew Shaymin could use her paws for more than just walking?) Vines grew out from the seeds and wrapped around Ralts. It then sapped energy out of the Pokémon until there was none left to take. Ralts fell to the ground, before it even got the chance to really attack. That Shadow Ball could have probably taken out blue *Ralts*.

Matt and Amy won! $5000

* * *

><p>"Dang! I can beat Michael but not some random kids! Sad Faic!" Enemi sent Ralts back into its Pokéball and ran to the edge of the mountain and jumped off into the canyon it created. A helicopter appeared with Enemi hanging from its ladder. "Until next time! I'm going to get you for hurting my Ralts! :D "<p>

Matt shook his head and told Amy to go back to the front desk and get an Abra to teleport Michael to a hospital.

Michael was badly damaged from the fall. He had, basically, a broken everything. Luckily, he survived. Cipher had kidnapped people and held them hostage but never had they tried to kill anyone!

Matt and Amy entered the room where Michael was staying. The 45-year old man was in a full body cast. Only his hands, feet, and head were visible. Matt spoke up, "Michael, how ya doin'?

Michael replied, "I'm quite good, actually. It's better than compared to falling into a sea of lava. I really must thank you both. If it weren't for you, I would have surely died."

"We were just in the right place, at the right time." Amy said.

Michael laughed, "So, I heard you came to me for help for fighting Cipher. Well, obviously, I'm in no condition to do anything battle-wise, but I can get you an important weapon that is the bane of Cipher and the Shadow process. I had my assistant bring them here. If you look on the other side of my bed, you'll see two containers. Open them."

Matt and Amy walked over and found to capsules and began opening them. They seem to be like arm guards. They had a glove and a wire that connected from the shoulder where a shoulder plate rested. Matt's also contained a visor that went over the left eye. Michael explained what they were holding. "Those are Snag Machines. They are used to take Pokémon form their trainers. They are only used on Shadow Pokémon and the Pokéballs that are inserted on the back side of the glove work in the same way that you would try and catch a wild Pokémon: it won't always catch them and it works better if they have lower HP. I know that Amy can see the Shadow Pokémon but I gave Matt a visor that will activate when a shadow aura is seen."

Amy was in awe, "I can't believe that you're giving us these machines."

"Well, someone needs to save the Pokémon." Michael went out to say.

Just as they were thanking Michael, Matt and Amy got a message on their P*DA's. It was from Professor Krane.

* * *

><p>FROM: Professor Krane<p>

SUBJECT: Purification Parts

We found what parts we need to reconstruct the Purification Machine. We contacted the Gateon Port Gear Shop. The owner isn't there at the moment but a worker there said they could get the parts ready. Please pick up these parts and bring them to the Pokémon HQ Lab. While you are in Gateon Port, you should challenge the Gateon Lighthouse. If you survive all the floors, they will give you a badge. They allow Tag-Teams.

* * *

><p>"Looks like we have a mission!" Amy exclaimed.<p>

Michael laughed, "Well, good luck! And don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"Okay. We'll talk to you later, Michael" Matt said.

It took the couple a good 5 minutes to find their way to the elevators but they were on their way to Gateon Port and the next stop on their adventure.


	5. Gateon Port Part 1

The bike got to the parking lot just before the water port known as Gateon Port. As Matt and Amy, with their Pokémon in their arms, walked down the set of steps, they saw four people in small amounts of clothing talking to each other. They could overhear the conversation from the two guys in the group as the two girls stood behind the faded-pink-haired boy.

"Why are you trying to stop me? I am doing this for the sake of the world! You should know that better than anyone else, Meruk." The other man said. He was about 6'3", had indigo hair with a couple of streaks of light purple that came down to his cover his ears and bangs that went down to his eyebrows. He was also wearing shorts that had various claw marks and a tight, tattered shirt. He also had many ice blue markings all over his arms, legs, and face and a mark that was like a choker around his neck.

The light-red-haired guy, who is presumed to be Meruk, rebutted. "That may be true, but we must abide by the laws of our tribe. Will, if you go against these rules, then I'm just going to have to apprehend you." Meruk was a couple inches taller than Will, and had similar clothing. He had long hair that went past his shoulders and was a mix between pink and brown with blood red accents. He shared the markings that Will had but they were blood red.

"Sir, I am ready to fight this criminal!" The woman to Meruk's right yelled. She was a head shorter than him and had slightly different markings on her body that were green. Her long, dark green hair was in a French braid and had bright green hair at the end of the braid. Her clothes were very revealing; it was almost like a bikini top and a short skirt. These people looked like they came directly out of the jungle. However, there was one distinct feature that all 4 had that seemed out of place: they each had a sheathed weapon. The green-haired girl began to unsheathe her dagger and popped out a Pokéball that acted as part of the handle.

The last girl, who couldn't have been more than 8 years old, took her staff that was standing at 5 feet or so and swung it in front of the other female. The blonde haired youngster said, "Marie! There is no need to be rash! We are in a public place." The girl had yellow markings that almost blended in with her tan skin. She was barely 4 foot 5 inches. Her blonde hair was in a pony-tail, where it seemed to spread out in all directions. Her hair changed colors closer to the tips; from blonde to yellow. Her outfit was exactly like Marie's.

Marie grunted in anger. "But this man broke countless numbers of laws that out tribe holds sacred, Cassie! He should answer for his crimes!" Will got a smile on his face.

"Marie, if you really want to bring me in, then this is your chance." The blue haired trainer said. "If you win in this battle, you can arrest me. But if I win, then I get to leave this port without you chasing me."

Marie couldn't believe what she just heard. She was waiting to get a chance to fight all this time, but now, she was hesitating. "Grrr… Fine! I'll take your challenge!" She readied a Pokéball and the battle began in the middle of a busy area.

Tribal Trainer Will sent out Simipour Lv. ? HP ?

And Will? Lv. ? HP ?

Tribal Trainer Marie sent out Simisage Lv. ? HP ?

And Marie? Lv. ? HP ?

The battle began with the two simians and the two trainers stepping onto the battlefield. Will and Marie unsheathed their weapons: a sword and a dagger respectively.

"Are these two humans going to fight in a Pokémon battle? Is that even allowed?" Matt asked Amy, making emphasis on the word humans.

Amy looked into it on her Pokédex. She figured that if it knew a lot of other information, surely it would have some bearing on this situation. The definition of Pokémon battle and it said that in MOST regions a Pokémon battle is between two Pokémon. Sometimes it can be between more than just 2; up to 6 are allowed in certain tournaments, 3 per team. It also said that in very few regions and small places practiced humans and Pokémon battling side by side. Humans would use actual weapon that had magic-like abilities, similar to Pokémon themselves. The weapons could be used as weapons or just a medium for special attacks. It also stated that it is becoming popular in many regions and is making many people going into the blacksmith arts.

Matt and Amy just accepted the idea of it. They took a seat on the concrete steps and watched the battle as Meruk and Cassie sat near the couple. Cassie said to Meruk, "Who do you think is going to win, sir?"

"Tough to say. I know Marie's skills but I haven't seen what Will can do since I was promoted to Executioner. That was almost 3 years ago. But I think it will be Will since I know his fighting style. He is more fluid than Marie is, and he can keep his temper." Meruk said in response.

Amy said to the other tribespeople. "Excuse me." They turned their heads toward the two teens. "Can you please help us with what this kind of battle this?"

They both smiled and Cassie said, "Sure. In a battle like this, the trainer aids his or her Pokémon and this reduces the amount of Pokémon they're allowed to use to 5. If the trainer is knocked out, they lose the battle, regardless of how many Pokémon they have remaining. Most trainers wake up within a few minutes but it depends how powerful the finishing move is. Also, if the trainer is in battle, the other Pokémon will not need to take orders, as they will act on their own. This is sometimes a plus or a great hindrance."

"I see. That's very interesting. Where are you guys from?" Matt asked.

Meruk said, "We are from a large village on the west coast of this continent. It's known as Artemisa. I am the village executioner, though it's more comparable to the rank of Lieutenant like Lt. Surge, as I am told."

"I've heard of him! He is one of my role models to becoming stronger!" Matt interrupted. He noticed his rudeness. "S-sorry." The battle was taking place behind them, but they were too caught up in the conversation. Simisage and Simipour were head to head, despite Simisage's type advantage. Marie and Will had been clashing blades and very little damage had been dealt

Meruk shook his head. "No, it's fine. I actually met him when I went to the Unova region and he was in Nimbasa city. He is one bad-ass dude. We had a battle and he beat me way too easily. I can't believe how strong he has become after being a gym leader for only a year." Matt listened with amazement. Meruk continued his story about him and Artemisa. "Cassie here, and Marie, are my second-in-commands. Cassie is the brains, a natural at magic too, and Marie is the back-up in battle. The blue-haired fella over there is Will. He and I are best friends from childhood. We even joined to become enforcers for the village, but he dropped out after a couple months."

Amy said, "No offense, but that conversation you had back there did not look like one that best friends have."

A sigh made its way out of Meruk's mouth. "Yeah, well, he's wanted by the village for stealing Pokémon from trainers with an ancient device. All of the village's protectors have a model in case a criminal has a strong Pokémon. He never turned his in. I believe his story about why he's doing it."

"And that would be?" Matt asked.

Cassie said, "He is saving them from their trainers. He has only taken Shadow Pokémon."

Amy and Matt exclaimed, "SHADOW POKéMON?"

So sorry for the long delay. I didn't get a lot of time to work on this chapter then when I went on vacation for a weekend, the story got lost because my computer doesn't know how to auto-save or go into sleep mode. So I had to restart the whole chapter and I got frustrated so I kind of ended it halfway.

Yes, this story takes place years/decades before the other games but after Colosseum and XD. I don't care if you don't like that it doesn't go with the canon of Prof Oak having to use the wooden Pokéball in 4ever (The movie). So until next time. See ya!


	6. Gateon Port Part 2

The battle continued in the background as Amy, Matt, Meruk, and Cassie talk about their village and the Shadow Pokémon. Cassie explained how Shadow Pokémon have been around since ancient times. "You see, there is a relic that used to reside in Artemisa hundreds of years ago: a giant crystal with the power to turn any Pokémon into a powerful fighting machine. However, this would also make the creature lose emotion and would not become friendly with anything. Their only purpose would be to fight anything and everything. At the time, there was thought to be no way to revert this until a Celebi traveled to that time and saw the horrific sights. That Celebi used its power to turn back time for those poor Pokémon back to their original state. Celebi left that time only to come back a few years later to see that there were more Shadow Pokémon. Knowing that this would only happen time and again, it created its own stone relic and gave it the power 'purify' these Pokémon and placed it in a place called Agate village."

Amy told the tribespeople of the fate of that relic. "But that stone was destroyed by an evil organization just the other day!"

"That can't be! That would mean every last possible way to purify those Pokémon has been eliminated!" Meruk exclaimed.

Matt said, "Well, what about waiting for Celebi to return and using its power to revert them to normal?"

Cassie and Meruk looked away before Meruk said, "Celebi has disappeared. It used to reside in Artemisa until 15 years ago. We have no idea why it just vanished. The elder thinks it was kidnapped."

Amy turned to Matt and asked, "Is it possible that it was Cipher's doing?"

"I don't think so. That happened 15 years ago and they haven't done anything until recently in 30 years." Matt stated.

Cassie interrupted, "But it's possible. Just because an organization hasn't made any activity that can be seen by the public, it doesn't mean they haven't been active themselves."

The 4 of them went silent, pondering what Cipher has and hasn't done. The battle between Marie and Will continued. Simisage and Simipour have now fainted and the trainers looked very tired. "Do ya give up yet?" Will asked.

Marie panted before replying, "Not…a…chance." Her dagger began to glow green. "Vine Trap!" She plunged the dagger into the ground. The earth under Will began shaking and countless ivy vines wrapped around his legs and kept growing and constricting his movements. They reached his torso then wrapped around his arms and finally covered his head. "Looks like this is the end of the battle for you."

Will laughed and said, "You still underestimate my power. Aqua Jet!" Water began to spiral around him as he began to rise. The ivy tried to hold him but the barrage of water weakened their hold. The propulsion pushed him up out of the trap then he aimed for Marie. She blocked the brunt of the attack with her dagger, but didn't seem him turn around and slash her in the back. "Looks like I win."

Marie fell her knees and said, "I can't believe I lost to a criminal!"

Cassie noticed her defeat and cast a healing spell. "Reverse Giga Drain!" A stream of energy flowed from Cassie to her ally, draining her of some energy.

"You all have some neat abilities." Amy said.

Meruk said, "Yeah, but in reality, anyone could use them. They just need to be trained to do it."

Matt got excited when he heard this. "So I could grab one of these swords and get these awesome powers!"

"In theory, yes." An unknown voice said. Everyone looked at the top of the steps and saw a woman in an elegant, regal black dress that shimmered like onyx. Her skin was pale but beautiful. She had long, wavy, black hair. She looked like a queen of darkness.

Will, Marie, Cassie, and Meruk got on their knees and bowed. They all said, "Lady Lilith!" Amy and Matt looked confused and then stared at each other before looking back at Lilith, questioning if they should bow too.

"Please, there is no need to bow. You know I'm uncomfortable with that royalty stuff." Lilith said. The tribesmen and tribeswomen stood up at her order.

Meruk said, "Lady Lilith, what are you doing here? It's so far from the village!"

Lilith giggled and said, "You also don't have to say 'Lady.' Admittedly, I enjoy the sound of it, but I'm no different from the rest of you."

"No, you're not. You are the queen of Artemisa! And you shouldn't leave the village without protection!" Meruk scolded.

Lilith corrected him, "One of the princesses! You know we haven't decided on who will be the next Queen yet. It could be me, or any of my sisters."

"But you have the most experience and you're the eldest."

"Are you calling me old?"

"Of course not, Lady Lilith. I'm just saying that the village tradition has always been the first born child!"

"Tradition, yes. But I have the power to step away from the throne and give it to my sisters. What's wrong with the other candidates?"

"Nothing, I just plain don't trust Judas."

Lilith laughed happily when she heard what was said about her brother. "You shouldn't say such mean things about anyone who is next in line, especially Judas. You know he is a skilled fighter and is known for his combination moves."

Meruk blushed, probably remembering a beating he took from a fight he had with Judas.

"So, what are you doing here, La- er, Lilith?" Cassie asked.

Lilith turned to her and said, "I am here because the royal shaman has told me of the accursed destruction of the Relic Stone. I am searching for leads to the people responsible for this heinous act at Agate Village."

Amy said, "Well, they would be known as Cipher." Lilith turned and looked at Amy and Matt.

"I see, and who might you two be?" The dark princess asked.

Matt said, "I'm Matt Utzi and this is my girlfriend, Amy Dahlia."

"It's very nice to meet you two. I didn't know the name of the organization but I am well aware of their past. Our shaman has revealed much to us. I also know that there are two heroes hailing from this region who shall help us bring down this 'Cipher.' I think you two will be a great assistance when it comes to bringing down this organization; or maybe, we will be a great assistance ton you two…" Lilith began to trail off. "Well, until we meet again!" She waved good-bye.

Meruk, Cassie, and Marie chased after Lilith and yelled, "LADY LILITH!"

Will walked up to Amy and Matt and said, "Well, I'm sure that Meruk told me who I am, but either way, my name is Will. It's very nice to meet you."

"And you as well, sir." Amy happily replied.

"I'm afraid we'll have to talk another time. I have to get out of here before Marie realizes she left without putting me in chains. See ya!" Will ran off before Matt or Amy could bid him farewell.

Matt turned to Amy and said, "So, um, onto the Parts Shop?"

Amy smiled. "Yeah, I almost forgot why we came here!" The two walked, hand-in-hand to the shops.


End file.
